Neurodivergent Mental Health in the Wake of a Pandemic: Exploring Impacts in Autistic, ADHD, and Co-Occurring Populations

Abstract

Background: Neurodivergent young people often experience higher rates of co-occurring mental health problems than neurotypical peers. Interestingly, research has indicated the COVID-19 pandemic may have had both positive and negative impacts on neurodivergent populations.

Aims: This study aimed to further clarify how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health symptomatology across three neurodivergent diagnostic groups.

Method and Procedures: Participants included 418 adolescents and young adults (70.3% male; Mage= 16.9 years old) previously diagnosed with autism (n = 208), ADHD (n = 100), or both autism and ADHD (n = 110) who presented for treatment at the [BLINDED] PEERS® Clinic prior to (n = 185) or during COVID-19 (n = 233). Social anxiety was assessed via caregiver- and self-report, while depression and loneliness were measured via self-report.

Outcomes and Results: Significant interactions between diagnostic group and COVID-19 condition emerged for social anxiety, p = .028, adolescent depression, p = .049, and young adult loneliness, p = .006, such that only those with ADHD showed significant increases in mental health symptoms during the pandemic, p’s < .05.

Conclusions and Implications: Results imply that the mental health of non-autistic young people with ADHD was uniquely impacted by changes brought about by the pandemic.

Note:
Funding Information: None.

Declaration of Interests: None.

Ethics Approval Statement: The Institutional Review Board at University of California, Los Angeles approved the use of this data for secondary analysis for the purpose of this research.

Keywords: ADHD, Autism, COVID-19, Mental Health, Loneliness, social anxiety